IAF100 Taranis Tracked Main Battle Tanks 5 Variants now released!

"With the completion of one of the most titanic in scale armourers works ever seen in the Prydian Precinct the complex plans for the lethal weapon of war that would become the Taranis Main Battle Tank were set into motion. The Targa Works would go on to produce such vehicles as the Adder Combat Car and Lifter series and the medium weight Mullo Armoured Fighting Vehicle but these were side and later projects compared to Taranis. Named after an ancient old earth deity a god of war from the isles of mist and rain the Taranis was created to be the mailed fist that would allow the regiments of the Barons and the Throne to continue to expand into space and systems lost during the thousand year old Aldan Crucible detonation. In 4294IC documents retrieved by Starvaulters during an investigation of the ruins of Newbury IV were decoded and artificed. It had taken a decade since their retrieval to decode the records which dated from the time of the great Resource Wars of twenty first century earth. The designs they contained were for a war machine that was the ultimate evolution of a century of tank warfare. Dutifully recorded they were sent out with the Ark Ships into the void. A monster of death this tank was doom incarnate and once updated with the technology Prydia now possessed they were further modified to be able to function in environments far more varied than one planet could have offered. Taranis would be a weapon capable of winning any war against men or the feared Khanate."

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC 

The five different tracked variants of our mighty Taranis Type 40 Tracked Main Battle Tank are now released! Designed by industry legend Bob Naismith this tank is a large resin and white metal kit in 15mm scale suitable not only for space opera settings but also near future or many other wargaming genres. There are five different variants (A,B,C,D and E) of IAF100 Taranis Tracked Main Battle Tank so please read on for each of them: 

IAF100A Taranis Tracked MBT Cannon Turret 

This is the core type of tracked Taranis the main battle tank with projectile turret. It is composed of seven resin and white metal pieces which are the upper hull, the lower hull, right and left tracks sections, projectile cannon turret as well as the main gun and the sponson gun. It is easy to assemble and is designed to be used for wargaming and thus it is durable. Assembled this vehicle is just over 90mm long and 60mm wide. We offer the choice of purchasing one kit or on the drop down menu the purchase of three with a saving of 10% on screen. Price 20.00GBP. Go HERE. 

IAF100B Taranis Tracked MBT Command Turret 

This is the platoon command type of tracked Taranis with projectile turret with additional rotary weapon and comms suite. It is composed of seven resin and white metal pieces which are the upper hull, the lower hull, right and left tracks sections, projectile cannon command turret as well as the main gun and the sponson gun. It is easy to assemble and is designed to be used for wargaming and thus it is durable. Assembled this vehicle is just over 90mm long and 60mm wide. We offer the choice of purchasing one kit or on the drop down menu the purchase of three with a saving of 10% on screen. Price 20.00GBP. Go HERE. 

IAF100C Taranis Tracked MBT SPB Energy Turret 

This is a Taranis main battle tank with an energy weapon turret featuring a small cabin for a crewman. It is composed of six resin and white metal pieces which are the upper hull, the lower hull, right and left tracks sections and SPB energy weapon turret. It is easy to assemble and is designed to be used for wargaming and thus it is durable. Assembled this vehicle is just over 90mm long and 60mm wide. We offer the choice of purchasing one kit or on the drop down menu the purchase of three with a saving of 10% on screen. Price 20.00GBP. Go HERE. 

IAF100D Taranis Tracked MBT Siege Turret 

This is a Taranis main battle tank with a double weapon turret for close in destruction. It is composed of six resin and white metal pieces which are the upper hull, the lower hull, right and left tracks sections, siege double turret as well as the sponson gun. It is easy to assemble and is designed to be used for wargaming and thus it is durable. Assembled this vehicle is just over 90mm long and 60mm wide. We offer the choice of purchasing one kit or on the drop down menu the purchase of three with a saving of 10% on screen. Price 20.00GBP. Go HERE. 

IAF100E Taranis Tracked APC 

This is a Taranis tank with a re-purposed function as a super heavy Armoured Personnel Carrier capable of carrying two squads or more into battle. It is composed of five resin and white metal pieces which are the lower hull, the APC upper hull, left and right track sections and the sponson gun. It is easy to assemble and is designed to be used for wargaming and thus it is durable. Assembled this vehicle is just over 90mm long and 60mm wide. We offer the choice of purchasing one kit or on the drop down menu the purchase of three with a saving of 10% on screen. Price 20.00GBP Go HERE. 

Here are pictures of all the IAF100 variants as their parts with under laying scale in 1cm squares for you to look at. All of these images and more are on the web pages for the tanks. 

The Tracked Taranis Tank is a big, big model. Sometimes its hard to tell this from photographs so here is a special image showing IAF100D next to four, yes FOUR Adder Combat Cars which combined have the same table 'footprint' as the Taranis. 

Taranis Tanks make use of a screen of Drones acting as a defensive, offensive, repair group controlled by the tank itself. These are shown on table as IAF081 Taranis Running Drones and these can be seen HERE on our website as a pack and as singles. If you would like to read more about the Taranis in the fictional setting of The Ion Age please visit our blog and this INFORMATION BURST article. Its a great read and hints at what will be coming as miniatures in the months ahead. 

This is our last release of the month so if you missed out on the offers now is your chance and you get your Reward Points on your account with us and of course the monthly free miniature in your package currently IMP26 Female Nox Trooper. 

Thanks for Reading. 

GBS

IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones released!

“It was chief engineer and fabrication guild master Ulus McTear who first came up with the notion of drones for use with the various types of Taranis main battle tank hulls in Precinct service. Protecting the crews of the vehicles was the guild masters first and foremost aim since the time taken to train on such a large and complex hull made replacing members of the crew a painful experience. However the factor of cost was also paramount in his mind. With more than eighty tons of titanium alloy in every Taranis as well as many other expensive systems such as its GroatVey MkX HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor its loss had to be avoided if possible. Originally in late 4200's IC the use of sentient mind droids was field tested and worked well but with the horror of the Gurtan Activation in 4302IC these were shut down and destroyed. The casings and systems of the droids were converted across to slaved robotic drones controlled by the crew of the Taranis. While this marginally slowed the reactions of the drones and limited them to a close protection of the tank this was seen as no bad thing by McTear who lost a cousin to the machines on Gurtan. There are two primary types of motive systems for the Taranis drones and these are allocated by the propulsion types of the tanks themselves with runner legged drones being assigned to tracked and wheeled hulls while repulsar drones are paired with hover and repulsar Taranis tanks. The role of the drones is protection and in limited ways attack and repair of their assigned vehicle. Five standard types of drone are in use as of 4303IC. These are the light missile drone which uses 30mm Anda guided rockets to keep light vehicles and incoming munitions away from its tank. The laser strike drone which has twin rotation mounted wide beam Valerin 2Mw lasers to assault enemy infantry and intercept incoming projectiles. A particle dispersal drone is fitted with fine filament explosive caps and smoke generators to provide interference with visual spectrum, electro-magnetic and plasma projectiles to a limited degree. A single direction comms suite gives the transmission jammer drone the ability to disrupt enemy signals and conduct sonic attacks. Lastly there is the field repair drone and this most specialised machine has the task of attempting small repairs to its Taranis when opportunity presents itself. These repairs are of course not on the same scale as those as a portable castle and its fleet of drones can effect but it can make all the difference when it matters. Interestingly the field repair drones came about after failed experiments with drones mounting tiny Hurwent Generators as every student of energy fields knows a stable haze cannot be generated with low power and with constant movement within an atmosphere. Taranis Drones are a valuable part of a Knight Commander's mobile armour arsenal and Precinct main battle tanks seldom enter the fray without them.” 

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC 

Designed by industry legend Bob Naismith and now released after featuring in the Taranis Tracked Tanks ESO's we present the excellent IAF081 Taranis Running Drones as a release. As always we offer a pack as well as an option to purchase three packs with a saving of 10% on screen and the choice to purchase each drone as a single in any quantity you wish.  Price 5.00GBP per pack. Go HERE. 

There are five different drones all supplied in two white metal parts with a set of legs and a different upper body which sits naturally into a bowl mount at the waist allowing upper body posing. Each drone has a different function in the protection and repair of a Taranis tank. From left to right these are as follows: 

1. Missile Pod Drone 

2. Laser Strike Drone 

3. Particle Dispersal Drone 

4. Transmission Jammer Drone 

5. Field Repair Drone 

Above is a scale photo showing a Retained Knight from IAF008 Retained Post Charlie. A typical Human miniature it is 17mm tall and shows the Missile Pod Drone and Particle Dispersal Drone on either side. The Drones assembled stand between typically 17mm tall and 24mm tall for the tallest. This scales them perfectly in 15mm and also makes them waist height for a 28mm miniature too. Scale variable and great for other genre's beside Space Opera such as near future and post apocalypse too. 

Thanks for Reading. 

GBS

Ten More Taranis Tanks by Bob Naismith coming in November!

The response to the offers and release of the IAF100 Taranis Tracked Main Battle Tanks designed by Bob Naismith was very good and again we thank you all for that. Five different tracked versions all under the header of the 'Type 40' and while we will be expanding the variants for IAF100 it is the turn of other propulsion methods to take centre stage in November. In fact two new propulsion Taranis types and these will be the Model 6 Wheeled and the Model 9 Lifter (Hover) chassis also designed by the legend himself. A total of ten new vehicles will be added to the range five wheeled and five hover with the same turret and hull options that the tracked propulsion body has. 

There will of course be full images of each new tank along with pictures of the parts as we did before. There will also be information bursts too. But there will not be a Early Supporter Offer made as these tanks will go straight to release at the price of 18.00GBP each with a saving for purchase of three at the same time of the same type of 10%. This lower price reflects the smaller hull size of these kits compared to the mighty tracked hull.  You will also get your Reward Points (some of you have 10,000 plus points saved up and we will be making new rewards availiable next month too) and the monthly free miniatures...something spooky and alien this November for IMP27 (shussh!).

In addition to Bob Naismith's excellent new main battle tanks the other news and miniatures and more during November will be several so keep an eye upon The Ion Age and I hope you like the pictures of the first painted new Taranis!

The five variants of Tracked Taranis and the Running Drones will be released on 29th October 2015.

Thanks for Reading. 

GBS

The Prang by Eli Arndt moving to The Ion Age soon!

This is a joint blog post featuring on 15mm.co.uk and on The Ion Age both of which are part of Alternative Armies. Its a happy article concerning the long term future of one of the most adored parts of the popular SHM Range. In the SHM range new and aspiring designers get the chance to have 15mm scale miniatures put into production by us for free at 15mm.co.uk. Gavin Syme (GBS) does this to give a 'leg up' to talent in a world where often its almost impossible to get ahead and its helped more than a dozen sculptors both traditional and digital since its inception. While everyone has their favourites from the eighty odd codes in the SHM range there is one part of the range that has out performed all others...The Prang by Eli Arndt. 

By arrangement between Gavin Syme (GBS), Sam Croes and Eli Arndt the Prang will leave the SHM Range and make the move across to The Ion Age in November 2015. What this means is that soon you will no longer be able to purchase Prang on 15mm.co.uk's pages and instead, under new codes but similar prices, the miniatures will arrive on The Ion Age pages. As part of the space opera awesome of The Ion Age the Prang will expand into an entire army, an entire range with a background in the narrative of the Prydian Precinct. While the current poses and codes of Prang will remain on the SHM Range page at 15mm.co.uk until the 9th November 2015 at which time they will be removed forever...argh! But do not fret! It will not be long after that before they appear once more. They will not stand still however as new poses have already been sculpted by Eli Arndt and here are a couple of inked up example master castings we are currently working on. 

During next month there will be more announcement and releases for The Prang but in the meantime stock up if you wish and if you have questions please do ask on sales@15mm.co.uk or info@theionage.com. Go HERE for the Prang in the SHM Range on 15mm.co.uk until 9th November 2015.

Welcome to The Ion Age Eli! Its going to be a lot of fun! 

Thanks for Reading, 

GBS

Taranis Tracked Tanks ESO now over!

The Early Supporter Offers on the IAF100 Taranis Tracked Main Battle Tanks, five variants and the pack of Running Drones is now over. All of us here at The Ion Age would like to thank everyone who supported us and pre-ordered Bob Naismith's awesome tanks with the 5% to 15% saving and free extra items too. Packages are being made up now and will begin shipping out worldwide from the end of this week and into next week. 

Taranis marks the entry of The Ion Age into the realm of larger models and there are more to come, a lot more. There will be details on the first of these in the coming days but this is our last Early Supporter Offer until the final month of this year. All of the codes in the now completed offers will be on general release before the end of October 2015 beginning with the running drones and then the five different tanks. 

This was frankly our most successful pre-order offer thus far but we are not ones to blow our own trumpet so please enjoy our success plus your tanks and these couple of quick snaps of the packing line. Once every package is dispatched we are going to celebrate by opening a large bottle of Pimms we have been saving for this occasion. Chin Chin! 

Thanks for Reading. 

 GBS

Mighty Tracked Taranis Tanks offers end 22nd October

“With the completion of one of the most titanic in scale armourers works ever seen in the Prydian Precinct the complex plans for the lethal weapon of war that would become the Taranis Main Battle Tank were set into motion. The Targa Works would go on to produce such vehicles as the Adder Combat Car and Lifter series and the medium weight Mullo Armoured Fighting Vehicle but these were side and later projects compared to Taranis. Named after an ancient old earth deity a god of war from the isles of mist and rain the Taranis was created to be the mailed fist that would allow the regiments of the Barons and the Throne to continue to expand into space and systems lost during the thousand year old Aldan Crucible detonation. In 4294IC documents retrieved by Starvaulters during an investigation of the ruins of Newbury IV were decoded and artificed. It had taken a decade since their retrieval to decode the records which dated from the time of the great Resource Wars of twenty first century earth. The designs they contained were for a war machine that was the ultimate evolution of a century of tank warfare. Dutifully recorded they were sent out with the Ark Ships into the void. A monster of death this tank was doom incarnate and once updated with the technology Prydia now possessed they were further modified to be able to function in environments far more varied than one planet could have offered. Taranis would be a weapon capable of winning any war against men or the feared Khanate.” 

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC 

IAF100D Siege Tank same footprint as four Adder Combat Cars!

The IAF100 Taranis Tracked Main Battle Tank offers end on 22nd October 2015. 15mm Scale. We have three great early supporter offers that give you a saving off release price (5%, 10%, 15%) plus free packs of five Running Tank Drones as well as the monthly free miniature and Reward Points on your account with us.  Excellent offers! For full details of the Early Supporters go HERE for the page on our website and from there links to lots more information and pictures.

IAF100D Seige Tank sizes up to a Hab Dome and Block House

This is a short reminder that the offers will be ending in less than a week and also to show you a few new images of the IAF100. It really is a mighty beast of a tank that when assembled each of the five variants is 90mm long and 60mm wide. In 15mm science fiction terms that is a big footprint and far larger than our Adder Combat Cars, Mullo Armoured Fighting Vehicle and in fact much bigger than our Hab Domes and matches up with the imposing Command Dome. Designed by Bob Naismith it is meant to be the king of the battlefield and meant to be as imposing as possible and in this it succeeds greatly. 

Three Duxis Battlesuits and Ten Retained Knights next to IAF100D

Thank you to all those who have placed their orders in the ESO's thus far, your tanks are all packed up and ready to ship worldwide once the promotion ends. There is still time to get in on the action and the IAF100 variants and the IAF081 Running Taranis Drones codes will all be releases shortly after the 23rd October and then news of what is next for The Ion Age! 

Thanks for Reading, 

GBS

New Sculptor joins The Ion Age in November 2015!

There will be a new talent coming into the space opera universe of The Ion Age next month. Dave Foley is a new designer from the United States of America who was so impressed with the idea of a new science fiction setting that offers something different as well as a soul and rewards its supporters that he pitched us an idea. An idea for a whole new range within the 15mm ranks of The Ion Age. Once he had explained it and shown us some concept sketches we were very happy and I am sure that once you hear what Mr Foley will be sculpting that you will be too. 

Our lead designer Sam Croes has given Dave Foley a free hand to create those miniatures which are not of the Prydian Army, not of the Marcher Barons and not of any Condot mercenary force. In short the non-military. The civilians, adventurers, law enforcement and more of the Prydian Precinct. Humans and perhaps more including robots that will be releasing as themed small packs with single miniature option for purchase. 

The non-military range will be on its own page of the website beginning in November 2015. We aim to release a new pack into the range every month and we will be beginning with two packs to mark the start of the range and these will be 'Adventurers and Rogues I' and 'Starport Staff'. All complete original sculpts by Dave Foley in 15mm scale and suitable for all science fiction settings. Questions and comments are welcome to info@theionage.com.  Images in this article are all from the first pack of Adventurers with the header image painted by Sam Croes and the single images painted by Dave Foley himself.

Welcome aboard Dave! 

Thanks for Reading, 

GBS

Happy Burger Bar by Mark Burgess

Mark is a long term IonFan in fact he has been with us since almost the very start some two and a bit years ago. Among his orders he has had many of the Monthly Free Miniatures which are given away for free in every package. Though he adores them all (I am sure!) some of his favourites are the two Happy Burger robots which featured as IMP19 Happy Burger Bot and IMP23 Happy Burger Vending Bot  (both of which can now be purchase as singles in the Year Two Collection). These tongue in cheek sculpts are pure 15mm fun and now Mark has stepped the fun up an order of magnitude and opened the first branch of the chain that covers the whole Prydian Precinct...a Happy Burger Bar! 

You can visit his blog post directly HERE. 

Its a lovely looking scratch built piece in 15mm scale that also incorporates some nice touches like a drive through (currently attending a 15mm.co.uk Laserburn hover van) and 'neon' swirly wire signs as well as a planet topping the bar with land masses that are not at all like those of Earth. 

We have have more plans for another Happy Burger sculpt for free in the future..what will it be...we will see. 

Well done Mark! 

Thanks for Reading, 

 GBS

IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tanks 15mm Early Supporter Offers now live!

The day is here!  From now until Thursday 22nd October 2015 we will have the IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tanks (Five Variants) 15mm scale as Early Supporter Offers.  Every order gets the monthly miniature free included and all orders including IAF100 are shipped from 23rd October onwards worldwide!  

Three different levels of ESO to choose from.  A single tank saving 5% off release price with a free pack of five IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones worth 5.00GBP.  Three of the same tank saving 10% off each and each with the free pack of five drones.  Lastly the battalion offer with five different tanks saving 15% off each and with five packs of five drones free!  Click on each of the offers for full details and links to our blog articles with a lot more information and images of this mighty beast of a 15mm tank designed by industry legend Bob Naismith!  Click Through!

Early Supporter Offer Number One - HERE

Get 5% off the 20.00GBP release price of a single Taranis Tracked Tank.  Choose from the five different variants.  You get a free pack of five drones with every tank.  Retail Price: 25.00GBP Offer Price 19.00GBP.

Early Supporter Offer Number Two - HERE

Get 10% off the 60.00GBP release price of a three of the same Taranis Tracked Tank.  Choose from the five different variants.  You get a three free packs of five drones with your three tanks.  Retail Price: 75.00GBP Offer Price 54.00GBP.

Early Supporter Offer Number Three – Battalion - HERE

Get 15% off the 100.00GBP release price of all five different Taranis Tracked Tanks. You get five free packs of five drones with your tanks.  Retail Price: 125.00GBP Offer Price 85.00GBP.

There are several articles on our blog that tell you and show you much more about IAF100 and IAF081 that we could possibly fit here or on our website.  Click on the links that interest you and see every tank painted, in action, scale shots, unassembled kits and dimensions, concept art, fiction in The Ion Age and more!

IAF100 Taranis Kit Photos

IAF100 Taranis Assembled Tanks

IAF081 Taranis Running Drones

IAF100 Taranis Painted and Scale Comparisons

IAF100 Information Burst - The Ion Age

To see all the posts click on this link which takes you to the Taranis 'tab' on the blog HERE.

Thank you for your time, for your custom, for your support and most of all for choosing The Ion Age.

GBS

Information Burst : The Taranis Model 40 Tracked Main Battle Tank IAF100

Wednesday 7th October 2015 sees the start of the pre-orders, the Early Supporter Offers on the Taranis Tracked Tanks.  Five variants, each of them created by industry legend Bob Naismith, cast in resin and white metal.  Each with a discount off the 20.00GBP release price, each with a free pack of Running Drones worth 5.00GBP automatically include.  Every order shipped on the same day worldwide after the offer ends on 22nd October.  Every order gets the free monthly miniature worth 0.60GBP which is IMP26 Female Nox Trooper and of course when you are an Ion Age customer you have an account and earn Reward Points which can then be used on future orders, discounts and promotions!  We really are one of the best brands to deal with for 15mm science fiction wargaming so you tell us across the globe.  Go to the Early Supporter Page HERE during the offer period to get your tanks.

This is the last article on the Taranis Type 40 Tracked Main Battle Tank otherwise known as IAF100 in our code structure and this time we will be talking about the place of Taranis in the armies of the Prydian Precinct and we will be doing this using extracts from the future published sequel to Patrol Angis the book Callsign Taranis.  There are other articles to peruse including one on the Taranis Drones, on the Tanks in Action and the contents of each IAF100 Kit click on each to go to them. Read on and enjoy.

"With the completion of one of the most titanic in scale armourers works ever seen in the Prydian Precinct the complex plans for the lethal weapon of war that would become the Taranis Main Battle Tank were set into motion.  The Targa Works would go on to produce such vehicles as the Adder Combat Car and Lifter series and the medium weight Mullo Armoured Fighting Vehicle but these were side and later projects compared to Taranis.  Named after an ancient old earth deity a god of war from the isles of mist and rain the Taranis was created to be the mailed fist that would allow the regiments of the Barons and the Throne to continue to expand into space and systems lost during the thousand year old Aldan Crucible detonation.  In 4294IC documents retrieved by Starvaulters during an investigation of the ruins of Newbury IV were decoded and artificed.  It had taken a decade since their retrieval to decode the records which dated from the time of the great Resource Wars of twenty first century earth.  The designs they contained were for a war machine that was the ultimate evolution of a century of tank warfare.  Dutifully recorded they were sent out with the Ark Ships into the void.  A monster of death this tank was doom incarnate and once updated with the technology Prydia now possessed they were further modified to be able to function in environments far more varied than one planet could have offered.  Taranis would be a weapon capable of winning any war against men or the feared Khanate."

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC

"The Taranis hull is a marvel of the teaming of technology and long achieved skill in warfare.  Termed the MkII the standard hull for all Taranis models weighs in at standard count gravity 1.0 at around 67 tons of titanium alloy armour and internal systems along with the GroatVey MkX HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor that provides the growl for the monster.  Using the principle of ion particle beam collision to ignite fuel pellets the MkX reactor provides some 3000 horse power or about 3480Kw of usable electrical energy to the power train.  This hull is then paired up with a motive system to produce a model based firstly on its propulsion and then on its particular use on the field of war.   This specialisation through modular fabrication is the key to the success of this tank across more than eighty star systems.  There are four motive systems which the Targa Works on New Glastonbury produce (there are also other works across the Precinct capable of this and jealously guarded) and these are the Model 40 Tracked, the Model 6 Wheeled, the Model 9 Lifter and the Model 32 Repulsar.  The Type 40 Tracked features a wide based pair or treads made of Hackamold maxdure composite which is heat and pressure resistant and on good ground can reach nearly seventy miles per hour.  Taranis carry a crew of four trained operators who are drawn from the Fortress and Fleet arms of the Prydian Army.  Retained Knights and Muster serve as crew but seldom mix and it is almost unknown to have Starvaulters in the seats of control.  Using the Bragan Memetic Neural Linkage system the crew are mentally attached to the vehicle and control its system.  This is a dry linkage as all wet implants were banned after the Gurtan Activation.  There is a driver centrally located, a communications and drone controller who handles the screen of drones the tank has and its comms gear.  The third crew member is the knight who operates the primary weapon systems and secondary linked weapons.  Lastly the artificer who oversees the condition of the vehicle and all minor in combat functions often sharing the work of the secondary weapons and drones.  The Taranis Type 40 Tracked main battle tanks have five core variants and fighting load weights of eighty to ninety one tons."

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC

"The Taranis Model 40 Tracked has five primary types and well as several secondary types and a few specialised adaptive local variants.  The role of the types is battlefield dependant and all crews are trained to operate effectively the primary types and most of the secondary ones too.  Here follows the distinctions of the primary types of the Model 40 through modular assembly of the hull.  Taranis Type 40 Tracked Type A the is standard main battle tank which features a turret mounting a Bodkin AP 130mm Cannon which is the normal projectile main armament of the Taranis series this cannon has an effective range of seven miles and features several choices of munitions including the Phelot Ex22 AP for anti-vehicle use and the TX12 Imploder for infantry clearance as well as the Habkut Variacluster which is a middle class multi-target round.  The Type A mounts a secondary weapon the Angis Mk9 22mm Automatic Rifle which can be manually operated from the crew turret hatches or controlled from within in the tank.  Some fifty percent of Model 40's across the Precinct are Type A.  Type B is the command variant of the Model 40 and is allocated at a rate of one to three or one to four of that of the Type A.  With improved comms suite and space for an additional operator if required the Type B has a modified turret with better optics and range finders as well as a Moth 88 Rotary Cannon centrally mounted. Type B also has the Bodkin AP 130mm main gun and the Angis Mk9 too.  For use on worlds with challenging terrain or low gravity where recoil is problematic the Type C of the Model 40 is deployed and this also features for extra-atmospheric use on asteroids and other space bases.  With a turret crewed by a specially trained gunner the main gun of the Type C is the terrifying super heavy Fretan SBP9 Sequence Particle Beamer with the space removed from the main hull of the gunner being taken up with a small secondary GroatVey MkV HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor slaved purely to the SBP9 and its massive energy requirements for sustained rates of fire.  About five percent of all Model 40's are Type C and also Type D as well.  The Type D is intended for close in warfare in urban and also warfare within starships if required and is the siege warfare type sporting a re-enforced turret with twin Ron MegaMax II 95mm Hi-Ex Launchers.  The Ron weapon system has reduced range compared to the reach of the Bodkin 130mm but its destructive potential matches the hellish maelstrom of the SBP9.  Hurwent shields and rubbacrete are not a match for the Ron which can reduce structures to rubble and also blast apart the heaviest titanium alloy hulls.  Finally of the primary types is the Type E Model 40 Taranis Armoured Personnel Carrier.  The Type E features a rear hatch and additional hull armour at the expense of a turret and two of the four crew normally in the tank.  Instead a well furnished internal bay has space for a dozen or more fully equipped Retained Knights or near a platoon of Muster or other non-armoured infantry.  The APC type has a top mounted Angis Mk9 22mm Automatic Rifle giving fire support to disembarking troops and is the favoured transport of most in free fire zones."

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC

"Auto-Trainer series 52 previous input explained the five primary types of the Model 40 Taranis Main Battle Tank and this now continues into the secondary types and local specialised adaptive local variants.  This is not an exhaustive list as local variants are many and the Leagues have made many alterations to the Model 40 based on their particular needs. The Type F is gaining popularity and since 4326IC has been fabricated in great numbers for regiments on the front lines. It is a missile support type mounting a choice or three blocks or six blocks of Anda 115mm Missiles with automatic reload from hull storage and rotation from a modified core hull mounting.  There are multiple choices in missiles with high explosive or penetrators being the most common.  Also gaining in popularity is the Type G which is an energy based weapons platform for Taranis just as the Type C is but where as the Type C has the often problematic super heavy Fretan SBP9 Sequence Particle Beamer the Type G has a turret mounted Valerin 50Mw Laser Cannon which while not as lethal as the Fretan it does not have the manifold and shroud replacement requirements that the SBP9 causes in the fray.  Responding to the increase in ultra large armoured foes on the field of battle the Type H does away with its Turret and has an adapted hull with a centrally mounted 'Eage' 85Mw Valerin Laser Cannon one of the most lethal energy weapons carried by a ground vehicle in the Precinct.  Much rarer are the Type I, Type J and Type K Taranis which are in turn a mobile Hurwent Shield Generating station, a quad mounted anti-aircraft vehicle and an armoured battlefield recovery vehicle.  Special mention should be made of the rather odd Type L which features a modified hull upon which are four small turrets one in each corner are placed carrying weapons such as the Valerin 15Mw, the Moth 88 Rotary and the Anda 60mm missile pod.  Its use is in low intensity warfare as a heavily armoured vehicle which engages primarily light opponents.   There are many local specialised variants beyond the official 'Types' recognised by the Targa Works on New Glastonbury in fact too many to even attempt to list however two deserve special mention and have appeared on several worlds.  Firstly the designated LSV1 Fueller and Landing vehicle the 'Folm' which is a very heavily modified Model 40 hull sporting a  landing pad capable of accepting light and medium classes of flyers such as the Skylark.  Its ground speed is restricted but it carries enough fuel inboard to keep a squadron operating in theatre for three days of patrolling and is often used outside of settlements and portable castles where such fuel is a real risk to security.  Secondly the designated LSV2 Taranis Type 40 Behemoth or  'Smugen' double hull which is a complex assembly used on worlds such as Myltunkeys II which are desert with vast open flat areas.  Custom build from the parts of three Model 40's the Smugen has four sets of tracks and a long central body with a rear tower and turret and many smaller secondary gun mounts and a command deck to the fore.  Smugen are slow but very deadly opponents in battle."

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC

Thanks for Reading,

GBS

IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones will be free in Taranis ESO's!

A while back we pre-viewed the Taranis Runner Drones designed by Bob Naismith you can see this article HERE.  In a few short days these drones will feature as a FREE PACK supplied with every IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tank during the Early Support Offers.  After that they will be released as a normal code as a pack of five, choice of singles or buy three packs and save 10% as part of The Ion Age 15mm range.  This article gives you the first proper look at the drones all painted up and finished and ain't they just lovely!

“It was chief engineer and fabrication guild master Ulus McTear who first came up with the notion of drones for use with the various types of Taranis main battle tank hulls in Precinct service.  Protecting the crews of the vehicles was the guild masters first and foremost aim since the time taken to train on such a large and complex hull made replacing members of the crew a painful experience.  However the factor of cost was also paramount in his mind.  With more than eighty tons of titanium alloy in every Taranis as well as many other expensive systems such as its GroatVey MkX HeavyIon Reasc Fusion Reactor its loss had to be avoided if possible.  Originally in late 4200's IC the use of sentient mind droids was field tested and worked well but with the horror of the Gurtan Activation in 4302IC these were shut down and destroyed.  The casings and systems of the droids were converted across to slaved robotic drones controlled by the crew of the Taranis.  While this marginally slowed the reactions of the drones and limited them to a close protection of the tank this was seen as no bad thing by McTear who lost a cousin to the machines on Gurtan.  There are two primary types of motive systems for the Taranis drones and these are allocated by the propulsion types of the tanks themselves with runner legged drones being assigned to tracked and wheeled hulls while repulsar drones are paired with hover and repulsar Taranis tanks.  The role of the drones is protection and in limited ways attack and repair of their assigned vehicle.  Five standard types of drone are in use as of 4303IC.  These are the light missile drone which uses 30mm Anda guided rockets to keep light vehicles and incoming munitions away from its tank.  The laser strike drone which has twin rotation mounted wide beam Valerin 2Mw lasers to assault enemy infantry and intercept incoming projectiles.  A particle dispersal drone is fitted with fine filament explosive caps and smoke generators to provide interference with visual spectrum, electro-magnetic and plasma projectiles to a limited degree.  A single direction comms suite gives the transmission jammer drone the ability to disrupt enemy signals and conduct sonic attacks.  Lastly there is the field repair drone and this most specialised machine has the task of attempting small repairs to its Taranis when opportunity presents itself.  These repairs are of course not on the same scale as those as a portable castle and its fleet of drones can effect but it can make all the difference when it matters.  Interestingly the field repair drones came about after failed experiments with drones mounting tiny Hurwent Generators as every student of energy fields knows a stable haze cannot be generated with low power and with constant movement within an atmosphere. Taranis Drones are a valuable part of a Knight Commander's mobile armour arsenal and Precinct main battle tanks seldom enter the fray without them.”

Academy Auto-Trainer Series 52, New Glastonbury, 4335IC

There are five different drones all supplied in two white metal parts with a set of legs and a different upper body which sits naturally into a bowl mount at the waist allowing upper body posing.  Each drone has a different function in the protection and repair of a Taranis tank. From left to right these are as follows: 

1. Missile Pod Drone

2. Laser Strike Drone

3. Particle Dispersal Drone

4. Transmission Jammer Drone

5.  Field Repair Drone

Above is a scale photo showing a Retained Knight from IAF008 Retained Post Charlie.  A typical Human miniature it is 17mm tall and shows the Missile Pod Drone and Particle Dispersal Drone on either side.  The Drones assembled stand between typically 17mm tall and 24mm tall for the tallest. This scales them perfectly in 15mm and also makes them waist height for a 28mm miniature too. Scale variable!

So...The Early Supporter Offers will give you a pack of five worth 5.00GBP free with every IAF100 Taranis Tank you pre-order purchase.  After all every main battle tank needs a little love!

One more article to come before the offers begin...watch out for it!

Thanks for Reading.

GBS

IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tanks Comparison and Scale Photos

IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tank with Five Running Drones!

The Early Supporter Offers will be coming next week and as we stated in the previous of today's postings there are more articles to come before then about the IAF100 Taranis Tracked Tanks all five variants and their drones that will feature in the offers. Click on the link HERE to see plain backdrop painted photos and click HERE to see an article with all the resin parts and dimensions of the kits. 

This article presents to you a series of scale photographs showing Taranis alongside other items from our 15mm range that are in your wargame collection. Each photograph has a caption that tells you more. 

Taranis Tank advanced uphill with female Retained Knights

A Red Adder Combat Car next to Taranis Siege Tank

Planetary Militia dismebark from a Taranis Tracked APC

Muster Khamel Tracked Bike next to Taranis Seige Tank

Energy Turret Taranis with Hab Dome and Cratered Hab Dome

Brothers in Arms!  Taranis with Skylark and Mullo vehicles

Taranis Tracked Tank with Steornade Battlesuits

Planetary Militia Infantry next to stationary Taranis Tracked Tank

Taranis with PM Officer, Colabretta Carrier and Hazelwurm Patrol Car

Do you feel sorry for the Canlastrian forces...I do!

Its a mighty big vehicle and damn impressive too! Bob Naismith has done a fantastic job on bringing my idea of what a futuristic science fiction space opera Human tracked tank would look like into a resin reality. There are more articles to come including one on the Taranis Running Tank Drones and an Information Burst fiction article followed by joy of joys the ESO's themselves! 

Thanks for Reading. 

GBS